Tag Archives: international relations

Turkmen president travels to Tbilisi to talk energy policies

JULY 2 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – TBILISI — Turkmenistan’s President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov travelled to Tbilisi for the first time in his eight-year presidency, part of a high-profile charm offensive aimed at winning support for pumping Turkmen gas to Europe across the South Caucasus.

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili welcomed Mr Berdymukhamedov at the Presidential Palace overlooking Tbilisi with red carpet and a guard of honour.

“Energy is one of the issues on which we cooperate closely. A Transit route from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey has a huge potential,” Georgian media quoted Mr Berdymukhamedov as saying after the meeting. said.

Mr Margvelashvili agreed.

“Our joint transit and energy projects will make it possible to transit Turkmen energy resources to the European markets,” he said.

This year momentum has built for Turkmenistan to start sending its gas to Europe across the south Caucasus. The European Union has visited Ashgabat several times to secure promises of gas supplies from Turkmenistan and Turkmen officials have set up working groups with their Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish counterparts on how best to pump gas to Europe.

Europe wants to reduce its dependence on Russia for energy supplies and Turkmenistan wants to widen its client base. Currently most of its gas flows east to China.

By travelling to Tbilisi for the first time since he became Turkmen president in 2007, Mr Berdymukhamedov has sent out a strong signal of his intent.

Luca Anceschi, a professor of Central Asian Studies at Glasgow University explained.

“This meeting, marking Berdymukhamedov’s first official visit to Georgia, is an important display of Turkmenistan’s policy of maintaining an open dialogue with as many potential partners as possible,” he said.

And Georgia is important because it lies on the pipeline transit route from Azerbaijan to Turkey and then into Europe. Mr Berdymukhamedov, as he clearly has acknowledged, needs Georgian support to push gas through to Europe.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 238, published on July 2 2015)

Azerbaijani capital closes first European Games

JUNE 28 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan brought the inaugural European Games to a close with another lavish ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Baku.

Opinion was divided on whether the Games had been a success.

Attendance of both crowds and top athletes was low, espe- cially in the perceived blue ribbon athletics events although Azerbaijan’s new sta- diums were highly praised.

For Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, the Games were an intrinsic part of his strategy to promote the country through sport.

Azerbaijan has sponsored football teams and plans to host a Formula 1 race next year. It will probably also bid to host the Olympics in 2024.

No expense was spared on the European Games, which featured Lady Gaga singing at the opening ceremony.

But complaints over Azerbaijan’s human rights record and a bus crash in the Olympic village which injured members of the Austrian swimming team overshadowed part the Games.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 238, published on July 2 2015)

Azerbaijan rows with with Britain over NK

JULY 2 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan lodged a complaint to the British foreign ministry after Bako Sahakyan, leader of the Armenian-backed group governing the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, said he was due to flew to London for meetings with independent policy analysts. Azerbaijan fought a war with Armenia in the 1990s over Nagorno-Karabakh.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 238, published on July 2 2015)

Kazakh President picks up EXPO tips in Italy

JUNE 27 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Possibly keen to pick up a few handy tips ahead of his own international exhibition in Astana in two years time, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the pavilions of Milan’s EXPO 2015.

Mr Nazarbayev and Italian PM Matteo Renzi toured the exhibition and then sat down for an official meeting where bilateral trade and diplomacy were discussed.

Media later reported that the two men had said they agreed bilateral deals worth $500m, although details were scant. Even so, the deals and the meeting highlighted the close trade and diplomatic links between the two countries.

Italian oil and gas company Eni is one of the biggest investors in Kazakhstan.

Mr Nazarbayev considers EXPO- 2017 in Astana an essential showpiece. He wants to promote Kazakhstan and his role in building the nation at EXPO- 2017.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 238, published on July 2 2015)

Japan wants more from Turkmenistan

JULY 2 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – At a meeting in Ashgabat, Japan’s economy minister Daishiro Yamagiwa said he wanted to improve relations with Turkmenistan. This is significant because it highlights Turkmenistan’s growing status as a trade partner for countries across Asia and not just for its gas clients.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 238, published on July 2 2015)

Russia issues loan for Armenia

JULY 2 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia has given Armenia a $200m loan to buy Russian-made weapons for its military, media reported quoting Ara Nazaryan, the Armenian deputy defence minister. Russia is Armenia’s closest ally in the region. It is still officially at war with Azerbaijan.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 238, published on July 2 2015)

Uzbekistan and China sign deal

JUNE 19 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Uzbek officials signed a protocol with their Chinese counterparts to extend their economic cooperation, media reported. The deal was signed by Chinese and Uzbek government officials in the Chinese city of Rizhao where the two governments had been holding a third intergovernmental meeting.

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(News report from Issue No. 237, published on June 25 2015)

Gazprom hints at Kyrgyz gas price rise

JUNE 25 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Gazprom wants to raise the price that consumers in Kyrgyzstan pay for their gas, local media reported quoting the director-general of its Kyrgyz subsidiary, Bakyt Abildayev.

This is a particularly sensitive topic because of tense street protests in Yerevan, triggered by the Russian-owned Armenian electricity distributor which wants to raise prices.

“We cannot endlessly subsidize gas industry. I propose to develop a new pricing policy for [the next] three to five years,” Mr Abildayev said.

When Gazprom bought the Kyrgyz gas distribution network in 2013 it was bankrupt and badly needed investment. Gazprom paid a token $1 for the network and promised much needed investment and also to keep prices low. This pleased ordinary Kyrgyz and also the government. It was interpreted as a sweetener as the Kremlin extended its influence over Central Asia and brought Kyrgyzstan into its Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)

Now, though, the situation has changed. Kyrgyzstan has signed up to the EEU and cash is tighter in Russia. The collapse in energy prices has hit Russia hard.

Perhaps this is why, with their allegiance guaranteed, Russia is now looking to increase the price it charges consumers for electricity and gas in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyz politics often plays out on the street. If Mr Abildayev is serious about increasing gas prices in Kyrgyzstan, he should probably expect a reaction.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 237, published on June 25 2015)

China invests in Kyrgyz North-South road

JUNE 23 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – China has agreed to give Kyrgyzstan a loan of nearly $300m to complete a new road linking Bishkek with the south of the country, media reported. The road, which crosses inhospitable mountain ranges, is important to the Kyrgyz government to increase its control over the south.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 237, published on June 25 2015)

Armenia to build north-south motorway

JUNE 23 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia’s parliament approved a $150m loan from the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) to build a north-south motorway across the country. The EBD is headquartered in Almaty and is bankrolled mainly by Russia and Kazakhstan. It concentrates on member states of the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 237, published on June 25 2015)